The international observers monitoring the early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria will present their preliminary post-election statement at a news conference today at 13.30 (local time) in Sofia.

The international observation is a common endeavour involving the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

The statement will be delivered by Eoghan Murphy, the Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observer mission, followed by Andreas Gross, the Head of the PACE delegation, Roberto Battelli, the Head of the OSCE PA delegation, and Miklós Haraszti, the Head of the OSCE/ODIHR long-term election observation mission.

This common endeavour comprises some 160 observers from 39 countries, including 29 long-term observers and experts from the OSCE/ODIHR and some 75 short-term observers seconded by participating States upon request by the OSCE/ODIHR, as well as 29 parliamentarians and staff from the OSCE PA and 24 from PACE.